WWJD By Dr. Richard Youngblood
Question: I know that an office worker has been
stealing from the company. Should I say
something? The company is going bankrupt
anyway.
Assuming that you have accurate information which can
be documented, you could give that information to the proper company
authorities. Consider the possibility
that such information might prevent the company from going bankrupt and save
the jobs of their employees. In the
process, there is always the possibility that you can turn around the life of
the unwise office worker. However, there
can be difficult situations which “whistleblowers” may encounter. Such a decision has to be made carefully
considering the good of the workers and company, as well as oneself (Philippians
2:4).
I realize that some people may think: “I’ll be out of
here in a few weeks. Why should I
care? Besides, if I say anything I may
have to go into court and a lot of people will be upset.” Or others might say, “They won’t listen to me
anyway?” However, Jesus taught, “So in
everything, do to others what you would have them do
to you” (Matthew 7:12). In fact, the
apostle Paul provides an excellent example of this teaching. He had been falsely accused in Jerusalem and
placed under arrest. When Paul’s life
was threatened by his fellow Jews, Roman officials transported him to
Caesarea. From there he was carried as a
prisoner on board a ship to stand trial before the emperor in Rome. The long journey by sea was plagued with
great hazards for all on board the ship.
Although Paul had nothing to gain by warning anybody of anything, he
spoke up for the good of all who were on the ship (Acts 27:11). Of course, he knew that God could rescue him
from all dangers; yet he reached out beyond his own interests and safety and
spoke up for the safety of others.
In today’s world, people can find themselves in
situations which challenge their integrity and temp them to compromise their
standards. Yet, all we need for evil to
prevail is for good and honest people to remain silent. We should never be mean-spirited in any
action we take (Romans 12:21). On the
contrary, by having the attitude of Jesus we can make a difference in our world
for the good of all concerned. I hope
that you will pray about it and take some positive actions before the situation
reaches the point of no return for your company. I believe that is what Jesus would do.
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